Apple designs clam-shell iPhone

Design filed at US Patents Office

Unwired View uncovered the clamshell patent, which was filed in September 2006, and depicts a device around half the size of the current iPhone.

The clamshell iPod design features a transparent dual-sided trackpad cover, which is touch-sensitive on the top and bottom. The patent says both sides of the cover/trackpad can be controlled at the same time, while the angle of the two screens can be an influence too.

While the designs don't depict a keyboard, the patent implies the sensitive controls would be used to create a virtual keyboard. The patent also highlights the technology could be applied to "other handhelds and computers".

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